Twilight Sun
by Nena Camadera
Summary: Midna finds a Gerudo in the Royal treasury, and finds herself making a deal that will impact everyone she comes across.
1. A Gerudo in the Twili treasury

Twilight Sun

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the voices in my head that spew out ideas for fanfictions such as this

Summery: Midna makes a deal with a Gerudo. TP with elements from OOT.

The vast landscape of the Twilight Realm, now free from Zant's tyrannical reign, was dark in the never ending twilight. The image gave out a peaceful residence; something that Midna discovered didn't exist in the Light Realm.

Restored to here original position of Twilight Princess, Midna stood on one of the balconies overlooking the Realm, reminiscing about her time with Link.

A sigh escaped the Princess' mouth as she stared across the horizon, where the demon-like twilit kargaroks flew free, bellowing to each other in their horn-like language. Her eyes wondered, focusing upon a pair of the creatures frolicking together in the forever dying light. She smiled, recalling the time when she had taken control of one of the beasts, and used it to fly to the Zora's Domain, her on its back and Link held in its claws.

She sighed. 'What I wouldn't give for those adventures to never end.' She thought moodily. 'If only I could leave my duties as a princess behind…' Midna sighed again before she turned and walked back into the palace, shutting the door that lead to the balcony behind her.

Bare feet quietly padding the cold stone floor, Midna made her way to the throne room, passing a variety of closed chambers in the process.

She paused. One of the chamber doors was open. Taking a quick glance at the elaborate design above the entrance, she quickly surmised that it was the room holding the royal treasury, a place only the royal family could enter.

Yellow red eyes narrowed as Midna pressed up against the wall, slowly making her way to the opened chamber. Energy sparked across her body as she called upon her magic, the glowing runic symbols on her body growing brighter with the power that flowed through them. Carefully, she peaked around the corner, hoping to locate the intruder and surprise him. No one could be seen though, so she hesitantly entered the chamber, an ominous feeling growing in the pit of her stomach.

Eyes searching for her prey, Midna ignored the riches around her: treasures her Gerudo ancestors had pillaged in the days before their banishment to the Twilight Realm.

The chamber doors shut behind her, bars coming down over them to prevent entry or escape. Midna wheeled around, gaping at the now closed and barred doors, the ominous feeling growing to cover her in a blanket of fear. What was this? Some trap Zant placed during his false reign?

She quickly banished the thought. Whoever was behind this, it wasn't Zant. He could enter the thrown room about as easily as he could destroy the Mirror of Twilight. Ganondorf maybe? Technically he was the King of the Gerudo, but still…

Midna glanced around her, shifting the energy surrounding her body into a circular mass of energy that sat in the palm of her hand.

The princess caught movement out of the corner of her eye. She quickly wheeled around, only to find the space unoccupied. The sound of laughter came from behind her, causing her to once again whip around, firing the energy that had been gathering in her palm in the process.

The result was an explosion of a small amount of treasure stored in a corner of the room. A gasp sprang out behind her, followed by an upset feminine voice scolding her.

"Do you know how much effort went into getting all that!? What in Majora's name is wrong with you?"

Midna slowly turned around, another blast gathering in her hand. "Well maybe if you would stop playing hide-and-seek with me I wouldn't have to blast the damn treasure!"

She raised her hand, about to fire in the direction of the voice, when she finally caught sight of the owner of the voice. Midna's eyes grew wide, the mass of potential destruction dying in an audible fizz. The intruder she had been seeking stood before her, tall, proud, and slightly miffed. The person was obviously a woman, who stood about three inches under Midna. Her burning red hair was held back in a ponytail that fell to the small of her back. Her skin was the dark tan of one who flourished in intense heat, with eyes as blood red as Midna's own irises. She dressed in clothing similar to what the ancient Gerudo once wore.

A light dweller. What was a light dweller doing here? Before Midna could speak, the woman sighed, shaking her head in the process. "Well, no use crying over spilt milk, you might as well sit down." The stranger glared at her. "And no more magic! I'll have no more destruction of treasure _I_ stole here.

Despite her fiery nature and strong will, Midna did as the light dweller ordered, though some would say she only did it because she was still slightly shocked at the light dweller in her treasury. She sat down where she was standing, too stunned to argue with the woman, all the while feeling as though she was being scolded like a small child. Across from her, the woman did the same, mimicking Midna's crossed-legged position. It was then Midna noticed something else about the woman. She was armed: two scimitars, one on each hip, shone dully in the artificial light of the chambers.

"So, are you going to tell me who exactly you are? How about how you got in here?" Midna's tone spoke more of orders then simple questions. A crooked smile appeared on her companion's face. "I'm hurt! Little Midna, are you to tell me you don't recognize me?"

Midna bristled at the comment. The comment reminded her of her mother's pet name for her when she was a child, her mother still in the prime of her life. It hurt to hear the name coming from a stranger's lips. "Don't call me that." She snapped. "In case you haven't noticed, I am taller then you." The princess raised an eyebrow. "And why would I recognize you? I'm fairly sure I would remember someone like you." She calmed herself, "so the question still remains: who are you?"

Blood red eyes-so similar to Midna's own, yet so different- sparkled with mirth. "Well, if you don't recognize _me_, maybe you'll recognize my name." A mischievous smile dawned on her face. "Tell me, does the name 'Nabooru' mean anything to you? Midna's eyes widened before a predatory smile formed on her own face. "Of course I know the name. Everyone and their pet bird knows the name 'Nabooru'. However, I find it incredible hard to believe _you_ are that Nabooru, especially when you take into account that the woman we are talking about is over two hundred years old." Midna's smile became triumphant, crossing her arms and staring the 'imposter' in the eyes.

The woman who claimed the name Nabooru stared at Midna in shock. Midna's smile grew wider. "I can't have been gone that long!" The smile left Midna's face. "I mean, I know being a sage prolongs your life, but this is ridiculous!" Midna blinked at the self-proclaimed Gerudo. "Right…Sage…and I'm married to a light dweller."

Nabooru turned her attention back to Midna. "Well how else do you explain my being here Princess?" Nabooru glared at her, the Gerudo's patience at its end. "I mean, think about it for a second. I'm a Gerudo in the Twili royal treasury, and am speaking to my own descendent: The Twilight Princess." Her eyes narrowed. "And you know for a fact that there is no magic that can change a person's look without changing a person's form.

Midna growled at the thief. "Okay, suppose I do believe what you say. That still doesn't explain why you are here."

A mockingly sad expression appeared on the red-haired woman's face. "What? You mean I can't check in on my many times great-grandchild? You wound me."

'So the legends of the Twili Royal Family being descended from the Sage of Spirit are true?' Midna shook her head. There would be plenty of time for musing on that later. "So why did you decide to appear in the royal treasury?

An innocent smile dawned on the thief's face. "I haven't had the opportunity to be around treasures like these since I stole them. Call it…reminiscing…if you will."

Midna raised an eyebrow. "And the bars on the door?" She pointed to the barred exit. "Is this your way of saying 'sit down, stay awhile'?"

Nabooru's face turned hard. "Actually yes, in a way it is." She paused. "We need to talk. All joking aside, I did come here for a reason. You see, for over one hundred years now the Gerudo have been living here, in the realm of Twilight. It should not be this way, and I'm sick of watching it."

Midna glared at the Gerudo. "Why? Yes, I'll admit that when the Gerudo were first thrown in this realm, everything was sent into chaos. That is common knowledge. But we've gotten used to this realm, and have adapted to our surroundings, making the Twilight our home." Her eyes became distant. "And as much as I miss Link, I have my duties here as the Twilight Princess." The last part was said almost like an afterthought.

Nabooru grinned at Midna's last comment. "You haven't even heard me out yet, and already you're turning me down. Listen to what I have to say before you make any rash decisions. I have a proposition for you that you just might like.

Midna's twilight eyes focused on to Nabooru's own light dweller eyes.

"I'm listening."

Nabooru's grin turned into a toothy smile. "Very well. Let's start from the beginning then, back before Ganondorf, before even the Hylians…

A/N: So how do you like it so far? This is the first story I've posted in ages, so constructive criticism is approved. The next chapter will be kind of like a history lesson, and will have elements of Majora's Mask as well. I'm still writing it down on paper, so I have no clue when it will be done. Add to that the fact that I'm working on some other stories which may never even get posted, and you're in for a bit of a wait. For these reasons, I apologize. But who knows, maybe with enough reviews I'll decide to work on this story more then the others. It all depends on you guys. Until next chapter!


	2. An explanation and a fight

A/N: I decided to move away from the chapter that I was going to post up, because my mind refused to allow me to write it, being too eager to get Midna to where she is at the moment. Don't worry though, I'm sure the chapter will appear somewhere in the story.

Chapter 2: Midna the Light Dweller

Midna groaned as she slowly regained consciousness. What happened? The last thing she recalled was Nabooru telling her something…a proposal of some sort…a history of something….and a bright flash of light before being enveloped in darkness…The princess slowly opened her eyes. Where was she?

Wherever it was, it was terribly bright, and warm as well. She squeezed her eyes shut in a futile effort to dispose of the light and, groaning, slowly picked herself up. One thing was certain though. Wherever she was, it was not the Twilight Realm.

She put a hand over her eyes and slowly opened them, allowing the crimson orbs to adjust to the light. Gods what had Nabooru done to her? As she contemplated the question in her head, her eyes finally fully adjusted to the light. And that was when she noticed something else….the hand blocking the light was not the hand of a Twili, but the hand of a light dweller.

Midna stared at the hand to a full ten seconds before she let loose a blood curling scream loud enough for even Ganondorf, dead as he was, to hear. She examined the rest of her body. Everything had changed. Her clothing had been replaced with an outfit reminiscent of Nabooru's, the pants a deep blue instead of Nabooru's pink. Her skin had darkened into a tan covered in tattoo-like runes. The very same ruins that had once glowed with the magic of Twilight. She grabbed her hair and brought it in front of her face. It too had changed. It was still red-orange, but the glow from the Twilight magic that once possessed her hair had faded from existence, and it now hung limp in her hands, devoid of life.

She recalled her conversation with Nabooru, remembering how the Gerudo's face had been the last thing she saw before reawakening in her current area. _I can send you to the Light Realm…I can allow you to see your Link again…But you have to do something in return for me…It is time for the Gerudo to reclaim what they have lost. Go to the Realm of Light, and let it be known that the Gerudo have returned!_

"Nabooru," she whispered to herself. "What have you done to me?"

_Hmmm…This isn't how I expected you to react._ Nabooru's voice rang through Midna's head. _As for your question, I made you a light dweller-a Gerudo to be precise._

If it was physically possible, Midna's already bulging eyes grew wider as she looked around, desperate to find the owner of the voice. "Nabooru!? Where are you? How did you do this to me?" The last part came out as a snarl as the Twili turned Gerudo continued to search for her prey.

An all too familiar giggle was heard in her mind, one that Midna herself could remember using in her travels with Link.

_You do realize that if you open your eyes any wider, they're going to pop out of your skull._ Midna automatically blinked, actively preventing her eyes from opening any wider then necessary.

"Thanks for the advice," the Princess growled. "Now mind telling me where in Majora's name you are? And exactly how you made me a Gerudo?"

Another giggle. _One question at a time girl._ _Now, I made you a light dweller by fusing your body with mine. It's a complicated spell that works only if one of the casters is a Gerudo, or in your case Midna, a Twili. I'm sure you recall something similar to this happening with your light dwelling counterpart, Zelda. You may also be familiar with such a thing happening in the story of the two sister witches, Twinrova._

Midna blinked. Of course she remembered what happened between herself and Zelda. However, that had been a different experience. Up until Zelda had returned to her own body, Midna had been unaware of the Triforce wielding princess. And even then, aside from her new resistance to the deadly rays of the sun, nothing about Midna had changed. Not like….this.

She also knew the tale of Twinrova, the two Gerudo sisters who used their magic to fuse into a more powerful being. It seemed this fusion was more reminiscent to Twinrova, rather than her experience with Zelda.

"But the legend of Twinrova spoke of a complete fusion of body and soul, only separating when the Hero of Old defeated them." Midna frowned. "So why can I hear you in my head?"

Nabooru chuckled. _We didn't do a 'complete' fusion Midna. That could only happen if both volunteers were willing to go through with it. As you had no idea what I was doing at the time the result was one body with two separate consciousnesses. The fact that you're a Twili also changes the rules a little bit. When Zelda fused with you, she needed the power of the triforce to go through with it as she was not a Gerudo. That's why your body didn't experience any outward changes._

"So my fusing with you is why I look like a light dweller and can hear your voice in my head."

_Pretty much_.

Midna looked down at her light dweller hands. "So tell me, do I still have magic?"

She 'felt' Nabooru smile. _You still have your magic, as well as a few other abilities._

The Twilight Princess felt a smile of her own adorn her face. "Such as?"

A pair of sword materialized in Midna's hands. Startled, the now ex-Twili stared at them. It took her a few seconds to recognize the blades as Nabooru's scimitars. "What? Wait, I can't use these! I'd never even seen a sword until Link was forced to steal his Ordon sword."

The lone wolf thief snorted at Midna's protests. _You Twili have gone soft. You depend on your magic far too much._ _What kind of Gerudo doesn't know how to wield the 'twin blades'?_ She chuckled. _Even your Zant can wield a sword…even if he had no technique…_the last part came out as a mumble, but Midna still understood it.

"And you expect me to do any better?" she snarled. "Zant looked like a freaking ballerina half the time we fought him and a walking chopping knife the other half."

Nabooru growled softly, her already short temper nearing its end in the argument. _You can use sword, and I'll even prove it to you_.

With that, the ruins on Midna's body flashed a bright aquamarine before Midna's body disintegrated into black pixels. Midna had only enough time to yelp in surprise before she was teleported away.

She found herself in the Gerudo Desert, outside the entrance to the Cave of Ordeals. "Wh…what…how?!" she stuttered. What just happened? It felt like someone else had just used her magic. Nabooru? Could Nabooru do that? Suddenly, the idea of fusion wasn't very appealing to Midna, and she said as much.

Or, at least, she _tried _to say as much. Midna quickly found out that, aside from her earlier exclamation, her vocal cords were refusing to respond. The princess felt a wave of panic wash over her as she struggled to make a sound. No response. She tried to raise her arms to her throat in an effort to maybe feel what was wrong, only to discover that her arms refused to respond as well. She tried walking, but her legs remained stock still.

The panic quickly grew into fear as Midna tried to get some sort of response from her body. Something, anything, even a little twitch would have reassured her, but her body refused to move to her demands. _What…what's happening to me? Nabooru, what did you do to me!_

Midna felt a frown form on her lips. "Take it easy Midna, and for the love of Majora, stop screaming! I have control of our body for the moment, so calm down."

Midna's reply was of several choice phrased and curses, all of which were directed at Nabooru. The frown deepened. "Okay, maybe I should have told you what I was going to do before, but I was getting impatient. The argument was getting us no where."

More curses ran through Nabooru's head, and the Gerudo winced slightly at the animosity. "Damn it, I said calm down! I can't even think straight with you cursing me so much. I know you're beyond mad but hear me out first."

_Wonderful, more explanations_. Midna's voice was dripping with sarcasm, and again, Nabooru winced. _Should have told her everything from the start…_the thief thought to herself. It would have saved the Gerudo a great deal of time…and a headache.

_I heard that_. Midna said, and it became Nabooru's turn to curse. She forgot that the one not in control could hear her companion's thoughts.

The lone wolf thief sighed. "Okay, in case you haven't figured this out yet, you and I have switched roles. So, at the moment, I'm in control and you are a voice in my head instead of the other way around." Nabooru pointed to the entrance of the Cave of Ordeals. "We are in the Gerudo desert, and I am going to teach you how to wield the 'twin blades' through a training session in the Cave."

Ignoring the mental shouts and curses Midna was throwing at her, Nabooru walked down into the cave. She paused at the small cliff that would allow her to move to the first 'level'. "Alright Midna. In a few seconds, you're going to be in control, alright? Now have fun." With that said, she leaped off the small cliff to the level below, swords in hand.

As they fell, Midna literally felt herself sliding into control. Instinctively, she called on her magic for help, only to get no response in return. She landed painfully on her feet, causing her to once again curse Nabooru's name. The thief must have locked her magic away somehow. Briefly she wondered if this was what it had been like for Link in their journeys together. Wondering slightly if this was some divine form of Karma, Midna held the two scimitars in front of her just in time to ward off the incoming blow from the bokoblin.

Midna stumbled backwards, trying to put some distance between herself and her opponent. "This would be _so_ much easier if I could use my magic." She muttered to herself. The beast came at her, club raised. "Alright, now how did Link do this? He made it look so easy whenever I watched him…"

The bokoblin swiped at her with its club. She dodged the blow, once again backing out of its swinging distance. At the very least, it would be easy to dodge, as the creature lacked any skill with the weapon it held. However, Midna couldn't dodge and block the creature's blows forever. Battles were won through offence, not defense.

_No more running._ She thought to herself. _If I want to win, I have to fight._ She focused her attention onto the bokoblin once more. This time, when it attacked, she countered with a blow of her own. Blocking the club with one of the swords, she brought the other blade sown in a vertical swipe across the beast's unprotected body.

It let out a pained shriek before retreating from Midna, blood falling from the new wound. Midna felt a feral grin grow upon her face. The tides hade turned, and she slowly began stalking her prey. Blood continued to fall from her prey as it continued to stumble away from her. The slice she had inflicted upon it had been deep, and as a result, the bokoblin was loosing a massive amount of blood very quickly. The monster was dieing, and the creature knew it, its once dark blue, almost purple skin having become an ugly pale blue.

_Finish it. Don't let it suffer any longer Midna._ Nabooru's voice rang once again through her skull. Midna paused in her pursuit. "What do you think I'm trying to do Nabooru? Now shut up and let me concentrate." Nabooru gave a small grin. It appeared Midna was still a little sore about everything. And so the thief did as she was bidden, deciding against her better judgment to tell the Twili that her prey was sneaking up behind her. The girl had to learn sword play somehow, and, sadly, this was the best way.

With Nabooru quiet again, Midna once again turned her attention to her prey. Only to find that it had somehow disappeared during her brief conversation. "How in Majora's name…"

A screech came from behind her, and Midna whirled around just in time to see the bokoblin's club hit her in the side. She fell to the floor with a pained grunt, a mall part of her amazed that even in its weakened condition, what the monster lacked in skill, it made up for in brute strength. Faintly, she thought she heard Nabooru's laughter, but that could have been easily mistaken for the sound of her pulse racing in her ears.

The bokoblin brought its club down on her again, but she rolled out of the way before it could make contact. The princess scrambled to her feet. "Bastard!" she cried. "Why won't you die?" She charged the bokoblin, desperate to end the battle. With a war cry that would have made any Gerudo proud, she brought both blades down upon the creature. It didn't even have the strength to defend itself, having used the last of its energy to knock Midna down.

And so, the creature released one final shriek before falling to the ground, dead. Midna dropped her weapons, falling to her knees in exhaustion in front of the now dead bokoblin. A small moan escaped her throat as she looked at her wounded side. It was already starting to darken into a bruise, and she winced at the size of it.

"Well…crap…that's going to be a pain later." She took a deep breath in an effort to calm her racing heart. "I hope you're happy with the results Nabooru."

An image of Nabooru's smiling face wandered into her mind. _Not bad for your first time girl._ The smile grew. Now, who say's you can't use a sword?

Midna growled. "Okay okay, so can you please give me back my magic? I want to get out of here as soon as possible."

Nabooru only laughed at her reply, but not without allowing the dark magic of the Twilit to once again flow through her. Midna let out a content sigh as the familiar warmth of her magic enveloped her body. About to teleport out of the cave, Midna hesitated, staring at the corpse before her. Picking up her discarded swords, the princess sheathed them in her sash in a way similar to that of Nabooru's. "I can't believe I'm doing this…" she muttered to herself.

Crouching next to the body, Midna searched what could hardly be considered clothing for anything of value. All that came up was a yellow rupee, which she pocketed automatically. Maybe she had spent too much time with Link, recalling how he would often do the same with his fallen opponents, taking anything that appeared of value, even if it was a meager green rupee. _Or maybe the thief's blood that runs through your veins is starting to awaken…_Nabooru whispered to her.

Midna shuddered at the comment. A princess acting like a thief? Not a pleasant idea….Taking one more glance at the corpse, Midna teleported out of the Cave of Ordeals, the only evidence of her passing being the soon-to-be-rotting corpse of the bokoblin.

_A/N: Okay, so I didn't have the chapter that was originally supposed to be posted up. So bite me. My mind refused to focus on that part, too eager to get on with this part of the story. Now some of you may have noticed how Nabooru or Midna refer to Majora as a God. That's because in my world, Majora _is _a God. One of the originals before the three Goddesses and their triforce came along. Together with the Fierce Deity, Kishin, they created the Sheikah and the Gerudo, Kishin being the Sheikah's main God before the arrival of Hylians to their land. In my world, the Gerudo refused to accept the Trio Goddesses as their new gods, instead choosing to stay with Majora. _

_I'll explain more about this as the story continues, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask me, and I'll ether respond in the next chapter or in an e-mail, whichever I get to first. I feel some parts of the story are slightly unpolished and confusing. For that, I apologize, and will accept any constructive criticism that may help the story become a little more understandable. _

_Until we meet again, and remember, reviews are a girl's best friend, and the best way to encourage an author to continue writing. _


	3. Demon Horse Orobas

It was outside the gates of Castle Town that Midna found herself formed up, much to the Princess's surprise. Staring at the thick outer walls of the castle as the last of her magic faded from existance, Midna blinked in confusion. "What am I doing here?" The woman wondered aloud, tilting her head to one side in curiosity. "I was trying to go to Faron Woods..."

_And get a little closer to a certain mutt, I'm assuming?_ Nabooru's voice slid through Midna's head, and once again, the Twili-turned-Gerudo let loose a small growl, something that was quickly growing into a bad habit with the thief she'd been fused to.

Walking onto the bridge that led inside the walls of the great city, Midna paused, raising her head to the sky as though questioning the goddesses themselves. "What did you do to me _this_ time?" The red-eyed woman hissed, ignoring the various merchants parading past her on the bridge, ignorant of the stares she'd earn as she spoke aloud and deaf to the mutterings of the passer-bys.

What could only be a snort echoed in Midna's skull. _Me? _Nabooru scoffed. _I have done nothing. This is all your doing, my dear..._Something in the tone with which Nabooru spoke to her caused the hair on the back of Midna's neck to stand on edge. "You're saying you had nothing to do with this?" Midna asked, her hands reaching to grasp the railing along the bridge that prevented the foolish and ill-balanced from falling into the river below. "But...I've never had difficulty with my magic before. Not like-"

_Not like a theif who has never had to rely on magic as much as a princess._

The thought was a whisper, so quiet and indiscriminate that Midna was unsure if it belonged to Nabooru or herself.

"The fusion..." Midna's voice was low and quiet, yet filled with such power that several people walking past the woman went out of their way to give the red-head a wide berth, some staring wearily at her as though she might attack them at any moment. "Nabooru, is this a result of the fusion?" The dark-skinned woman's voice rose with each word, until the last bit came out as a shout, causing more innocent bystanders to pause and stare.

The thief she'd allied herself with gave no response.

And so, with a frustrated growl, Midna released her grip on the railing, once more ignoring the various stares directed her way as she marched into the capital of Hyrule. "Maybe I'll get lucky and see if a certain light-dweller can't help me out with my situation."

She was ignorant of the dark scorch marks that had appeared upon the wood which she'd so tightly gripped moments before-or the flash of blue ruins along her wrists that had been the cause of the burns.

~*~

The market square was alive and bustling with activity. All along the center street, merchants shouted out the value of their goods, demanding that their customers stop and take a look at what they had to offer. Gypsies danced to the never ending tunes of bards, laughing merrily as the more generous people tossed a green rupee or two into open hats. And yet, the environment still felt somewhat withdrawn-strained, almost, made all the more obvious by the sectioned off area that once led to Hyrule castle, where, even now, if one were to listen closely, they might here the sound of shouts and bangs-carpenters working days and nights repairing the damage that had been done to their beloved castle.

With a disgruntled sigh, red eyes stared distraught at the closed road. "Shoot...I'd forgotten about _that_ little bit..." She muttered, unwanted memories of a Shadow-beast challenging the once-great Gerudo King. "Wonder what they have Zelda doing now." An unbidden image of a masked figure with red eyes and blonde hair appeared in Midna's mind, and the long haired woman blinked in confusion. "What in Majora's name does a Sheikah have to do with Zelda's personal life?" Midna demanded.

Nothing but an inner snickering was her response.

Feeling as though she'd been left out of some age-old inside joke, Midna snarled in disgust before turning away and storming down one of the various streets, this time all-too aware of the glances directed towards her-especially from the armed guards who's helmeted gaze seemed to follow her every move.

They made her skin crawl.

_Thief's-blooded..._

Feeling the sudden need to disappear from prying eyes, Midna quickly found herself slipping into a large crowd that had steadily been growing since she'd rounded a local street corner. Recognizing the area to be near to the 'Creepy Bug-Child', Midna paused, letting her senses adjust to the rambunctiousness of the crowd. Murmurs and shouts assulted her ears, and various limbs forced the Gerudo-Princess to its center, where one voice in particular rose above the crowd itself.

A horse was screaming.

A stallion, to be exact. His coat as dark as a moonless midnight, the great beast reared onto it's hind legs, pawing the air angrily as it fought to throw the Hylian man off his back. Falling back onto all fours, the steed quickly kicked it's back legs out, sending the young man forward. The Hylian's head collided with the creature's muscular neck, and the lad crumbled, his grip on the saddle loosening and sending the would-be cowboy to the ground.

Shouts and jeers ran throughout the audience, and if not for the ample skill of what could be nothing more then a seasoned rancher, the demonic-looking creature surely would have trampled the fallen lad. As several concerned citizens dragged the unconscious one out of the living ring that the denizens of Castle Town had created, the old man that had regained control of the beast stepped forward once more.

"And so another falls to the almighty Demon's Steed! He shouted, his voice rising over the crowd as he ignored the exchange of currency moving from one hand to another. "Come! Is there no one who can tame the wild beast?" The elder demanded, the balding remains of his hair drifting in a light breeze. "Ten rupees, ten seconds!" He crowed. "Stay on and prove to all Hyrule your abilities!" The old man waved his free hand to the dark stallion and an small, open sack of rupees lying off to one side. "Do not tell me there is no man brave enough to tame such a beast-no person who does not desire a steed of his own-or, at the very least, the money to purchase a well-respecting beast!"

It was a sham, one Midna-or was it Nabooru?-recognized at a moment's glance. The stallion was obviously too rambunctious for any regular person-Hylian or not-to tame. Only someone with a great deal of experience with equines,such as the old man currently holding the reigns to the beast, held a chance of outlasting the creature. It was something elder was counting on.

He wasn't expecting someone with a borrowed knowledge to challenge his abilities.

_Orobas...It's Orobas!_

Flickers of memories not her own raced through Midna's head-a vast desert, a fire-haired man racing though on a powerful dark, young steed, various veiled females following closely behind on mares and geldings of their own, a raid on a merchant cart-and suddenly Midna found herself stepping forward, yellow rupee in hand as she approached the gambler.

A strife of panic wafted through her as she realized what was happening once again, felt the slow, gambler's smirk appear on her face as she challenged the man for his prize, watched as she sauntered over to the angry creature, who's gaze screamed of a bloodrage only a predator should ever exhibit.

"Orobas" Midna heard Nabooru whisper, almost affectionately as she ran Midna's hands through his dark mane. Slipping into the saddle on his back, Midna felt herself begin to slide back into control, Nabooru's parting words to the stallion being, "let me take you home..."

His ears following Midna's voice, as though listening and, dare she say, _understanding_ Nabooru's parting words,the beast-was it really this Orobas that Nabooru claimed him to be? Snorted angrily as the elder came forward, ducking under and avoiding a bite from the stallion that would have done more then tear clothe, given half the chance, with the ease of experience.

He reached up and patted Midna on the leg. "Ye ready Lass?" He asked, handing Midna the reign, which she accepted numbly. Nabooru made her nod, and inside Midna screamed in rage at the invasion. "Remember-ten rupees means ten seconds-if the beast doesn't throw you before that time, him and all the money he's earned belong to you. If not-" the elder shrugged, looking over to where the young man prior to Midna had been dragged off from. "-then you'll only be ten rupees shorter then before, yes?"

A devil's twinkle in his eyes, the man turned his back to Midna and her beast, and underneath her, the princess could feel the muscles of the stallion tense and grow taunt, eager for action. A loud _bang_ echoed above the crowd's heads, and Orobas, the demon's steed of the great Gerudo King Gannondorf, leaped into action.

~*~

Two voices rose into one as the stallion and it's rider fought eachother for dominence. Together, maiden and beast created an eerie duet that would have been right at home in a child's fairy tale. Arms crossed over his broad chest, Auru watched the foreigner and steed in silence as around him, the various denizens of Castle Town shouted bets, each raising the stakes on how long the fire-haired woman would last before being trampled like so many previous fools.

The frown on his face deepened. He'd noticed the stranger as soon as she'd passed the armed guards at the gates, a woman who openly displayed her weapons and muttered to herself like a person gone mad. A man not unfamiliar with witnessing such madness in others during his career as a soldier, Auru went out of his way to keep a close eye on the foreigner, more the ready to end any signs of insanity before they began.

He had not been expecting this, however.

Slowly gaining a sense of the avalance she rode, the red-eyed woman's shrieks of panic lifted into high pitched, near-hysterical laughter. Perhaps realizing that this one might actually have a chance of succeeding where others had failed, someone in the crowd had started a countdown, others in the mass quickly adding their voice to the chant and watching with white knuckled grips as, second by second, the stranger got closer to her goal.

True it was only ten seconds, but the bestial steed had been known for throwing even the best of contestants off his back in less then five. The woman though, had already reached seven seconds, and as one, the crowd of Hylians, Zora, and Goron counted down the remaining seconds.

"3...2...1..."

Screams and hollers swept into the air as the mass of beings celebrated the foreigner's victory, people slapping each other on the back merrily or openly hugging as though the woman's victory had somehow led to a success on their behalf. And yet still the woman continued to ride the stubborn equine, almost as though-

_as though she cannot safely depart from the creature._ Auru thought, a small lump of concern rising in his throat. With a seasoned eye, he examined the exotic woman. A white knuckled grip on both reigns and saddle, legs squeezing painfully against the animal's sides, no doubt causing the beast further anxiety, the bright, half-crazed look of one who simply _knew_ they were in a bad situation, and oh so many more small, subtle signs.

More bets flew through the air as more and more people predicted how long the woman would last now that she'd earned the prize, all but ignoring the actual rider and the elder who had come across the cursed beast itself. It seemed that only Auru was aware of the tight-lipped, glaring elder who had come to the realization that the hefty profit he'd made off the horse was now gone.

A shriek-scream, and Auru turned back to the duo that had become the center of the small, man-made world, just in time to see the great steed rear back in a move that had become all-to-familiar to the crowd, and throw the stranger from the saddle. The woman hit the ground with an almost audible _smack_, sheer luck alone preventing the armed stranger from skewering herself on her own blades.

An almost eerie silence followed the fall, as though the crowd could not comprehend what had just happened. And then as though spell-bound, the crowd erupted into a roar of cheers.

It was Auru who noticed the elder disappearing into the crowd as those at the forefront of the mass moved forward to calm the beast and rescue their victor from death by trample.

And it was Auru who slipped unnoticed through the mass after the con artist, a sense of justice that had been installed in him years ago rising to the surface. He found his target just as the old man left the crowd, and with a speed the belied his own age, grabbed the man by the arm. "Now now." He scorned, Auru's eyes drifting to the sack he knew to be filled with a hefty sum of rupees in the con artist's hands. "I do believe that belongs to the young lady and her new steed."

His voice was soft, yet filled with an authoritative strength that left no room for argument. Surprised, the elder opened his mouth to protest, only to shut it quickly when Auru sent the man a look that demanded obediance. "Fine, fine." The con artist grumbled, thrusting the pouch out to Auru when he took notice of the curious guards watching them on the corner. "It isn't worth the trouble of making a scene in front of so many people." He said, glaring at Auru as the temporary vigilante took the offered pouch before releasing the other's arm.

Auru cracked a small half-smile as the defeated con artist quickly departed, heading down an alley void of any overly curious guards and disappearing around a corner, no doubt already plotting on another strategy to earn a quick rupee. Turning back to the large gathering that, even as he watched, was quickly beginning to diminish, Auru allowed himself the brief pleasure of a full blown smile. The last time he'd spoken to anyone in that tone had been back as a drill instructor for new guards, before he'd retired as a mentor to a certain young princess a lifetime ago.

_Amazing how time will change a man_. Auru thought to himself, making his way through the remaining bystanders and to the heart of the mass. A white eyebrow raised in amusement. Several grown Hylians and one adult Goron were currently keeping the wild dark steed under control, while off to one side a Zora and Hylian woman were caring for the fallen stranger. Seeing that the creature was in no condition to bolt, Auru ignored it in favor of the tan woman.

Kneeling down beside her, Auru suppressed a grown as his old knees popped in protest. He'd be feeling _that_ later. "Is the lass alright?" He asked, focusing his gaze on the stranger with a studious eye, a part of him wondering why, despite her foreign appearance, the woman seemed slightly familiar. One red eye popped open, trying and failing to focus on Auru, and the woman broke out into a witches laugh that caused both Hylian and Zora to wince.

"We think she's been knocked silly, Grandfather." The Hylian woman said, looking worriedly over to the senior. "I think she may need to see a doctor." The young Zora that was her companion snorted in disdain. "Too bad the doctor's office is all filled up with everyone else that damned creature has thrown." Her black gaze glared over at the stallion and, as though sensing the Zora's gaze, the stallion paused in it's tireless struggle, returning the glare full force and pulling back it's lips in a mockery of a predator's snarl. The Zora quickly looked away.

"Dumb beast." She hissed. "If this one" the Zora nodded down to the exotic woman. "has any sense, she'll use those two boar-sticker's of hers and end that creature's life. Nothing good can come from an animal like that."

Auru grunted, neither agreeing or disagreeing with the Zora as he placed the retrieved prize down beside the red-head. Reaching inside a pocket, the elder pulled out a small pouch, untying the string that kept in closed. A pungent smell wafted from the little bag, and the Zora, who's sense of smell was vastly superior to that of the Hylians around her, quickly moved to cover her face.

Her Hylian companion gagged. "Smelling salts?" She queried. "I didn't know such materials still existed in this world." Then she too, moved to cover her assaulted nose as Auru brought the little pouch forward, moving to hold it under the stranger's nose.

The response was instantaneous, the woman's dazed red eyes suddenly focusing on Auru and, more importantly, the bag he was cradling under her nose. The woman gasped, inhaling nothing put the acrid scent, and began gagging, coughing, and cursing in a mixture of Hylian and whatever the stranger's native language was. Auru blinked as the woman, filled with an energy born of desperation, scrambled away from him in an effort to clear her sinuses.

For a moment, he was almost certain she'd used the Ancient's tongue.

More shouting and cursing, this time with the addition of crud jesters his way, and calmly he retied his little bag and returned it to it's hiding place. Gradually Auru began to better understand _what_ curses where being thrown at him as either the woman calmed herself or she finally picked a language to burn his ears with.

"...and your father is a flying f-"

"And that's enough from you, Lass."

Again, using a tone that all but ordered obedience, Auru silenced the stranger before she could get too carried away. Somewhere in-between the time of her cursing and his stowing of the salts, the foreigner's two caretakers had vanished. The old man stood, this time not bothering to suppress the moan that came with it, and stared down at the young woman, frowning slightly when he caught what might have been a flicker of recognition in her strange eyes.

However, it was gone before he could fully decide what it was, and with a grunt, the woman moved to stand as well. She wobbled on unsteady feet, and Auru quickly moved to grab her before the woman could make a repeat of her fall from the beast-horse. The stranger grabbed his arm as well, her grip like a vice as the woman fought to hold herself steady. "Are you going to be alright Lass?" He asked. He hadn't missed the large bruise that had been on her side, even before her fall from the creature. Falling from something as mean as that stallion couldn't have helped her condition much either, if the scrapes and scratches that now adorned her exposed arms were any indications. More bruises would probably follow soon afterward. Auru was actually surprised the poor woman hadn't broken any bones, all things considered.

"I'll be fine." The woman muttered, turning to glare instead at the horse that had thrown her. "Stupid beast." She grumbled, and then, in a lower voice Auru was certain was not met for his ears, "stupid thief..."

Thinking perhaps the woman meant the old con artist Auru had stopped, the elder nodded down to the pouch of rupees still laying on the ground. "You won't have to worry about that one." He stated. "You won fair and square, and I'm certain with the amount of pocket money in there, you'll be able to find a good doctor for the injuries you sustained."

He didn't like the blank stare the woman granted him.

"...Perhaps you are in worst condition then I initially observed..."Auru murmured, memories of an amnesia-stricken Ilia wandering lost through his mind. "It may be a good idea to get you to looked at sooner rather then later." Perhaps it was instinct, perhaps simply experience, but somehow, Auru was near certain that the woman he was helping to support at the moment was the type who would ignore an injury as long as possible, given half the chance, and the last thing he felt he needed was the woman to fall to the wolves of Hyrule after seeing her state of being and not doing anything about it.

With a grunt, the man leaned down and grabbed the bag of rupees, dropping into the red-haired woman's free hand. "Store that someplace safe." He advised. "Recent activites have led to an increase in pickpockets around town, and I doubt you want to loose anything to sticky fingers so soon after gaining it."

Again, a silent, blank stare from the stranger. Auru sighed. "Now come with me. I want to have that side looked at, as well as any other injuries that might not be visible on the surface." The man turned to the side, examining the various men and lone Goron who'd finally managed to get the beast of a horse under control. "Would you lads mind doing an old man a favor and taking that beast to the stables? I'll pay for a round of drink for you all if you do. _You all look like you need it-even you, Mr. Goron._

The men grinned at the prospect of a free drink, and with a few nods of agreement, they departed, struggling with the strength of a second wind to drag the stubborn mule-no, _horse_-to it's next residency.

The young woman and old man watched the duo depart, and soon found themselves alone in the middle of the street. The crowd that had once encased them having fully departed, only catching the eyes of the curious passer-by or the lone guardsmen heading to his next post. And even then, so much as anyone else was concerned, all they saw was a father-daughter duet, one supporting the other who, for all the swords spoke, had just returned from a rather painful training session.

The town had certainly seen stranger.

"Those drinks you mentioned to the guys with my horse." Auru looked over to his new companion. "Does that include me?"

This time it was Auru's turn to be silent.

_Telma's going to kill me..._

~*~

A/N: And I bet you all thought this story was dead, didn't you? The original chapter for this story was lost, and I literally took two days to work on this one little piece. I have no idea just how dramatically Tech school has affected my writing, so please, feel free to tell me what you think. I don't know why, but recently I've gone on a Zelda spree, so of all my stories, this was the first to be updated since returning home on leave.

It's so nice to not have to worry about washbacks, washouts, or tests/PCs now that I've graduated. My heart is at ease...


End file.
